Well, I finally found a decent real ale that didn't come out of a bottle. Youngs Winter Warmer, firm favourite of mine and in damn good nick too. Considering that up til then the best I'd managed was Erdinger and Crabbies you will appreciate what a boring week it's been......Bring on the Beast..........
Pubs are a hobby, real ale is a passion. Oh, and like me dogs, fear no evil..........
Close thing this week - I had thought the Arkells Kingsdown Ale I had a couple of days ago would be my BOTW but I had a couple of pints for breakfast yesterday (as you do) including a second Kingsdown and a Dorset Ammonite. Now I'm torn between the 2. Given the lack of breakfast material in the house at the moment it may be another couple of early pints this morning + my weekly Sunday evening session may yet throw something else into the equation before I get started on the Doom Bars.
I do have to admit Roger there's nothing like an early Sunday morning pint - thank heavens for JDW . About to head out myself shortly to St Albans to check out a few pubs on PG that I'm not sure are still there, and maybe have a pint or two along the way.
As to my BotW, so far it has been Yorks Centurians Ghost but let's see what I find today before making a final decision.
If you've not been for a while you might not have encountered the new kid on the block real ale wise. The Blacksmiths Arms, an ex-Hogshead and previously one to avoid is now a thriving real ale pub. The Mermaid has gone downhill a bit in my opinion, The Boot is good and most of the others are steady. Haven't ventured down to the Lower Red Lion for a while, that walk back up the hill puts me off
If you fancy meeting up for a St Albans jaunt any time just let me know.
I thought it was going to be Summer Lightning but I had a couple of excellent pints of Acorn Brewery's Barnsley Bitter in Wensleydale and that's my BOTW.
By the way I worked in St Allbrans many years ago, in the days of Ind Coope's virtual monopoly, the Lower Red Lion was a great pub in those days selling Youngs but my work mates always spent Thursday nights in the Peahen drinking keg MacMullens. I understand it's become some sort of yoof place but in those days it was full of very odd characters. I used to drink Greene King in preference to Ind Coope then, how times change According to my 1979 Herts beer guide I'd been in 28 out of the 34 pubs listed.
An old favorite for me this week , Hobsons Best in the Crown , Oakengates, which had a strangely dull range on last night , Hobsons , Deuchars(for Burns night) Theakstons Mild , Northumberland Legend No1 , no Porters or Stouts which is unusual .